I shivered involuntarily as he lazily traced the puckered skin.
I chuckled nervously. “That will take a while,” I said a little breathlessly.
Cole dropped his finger and smiled. “I’ve got all night. If Leo doesn’t mind, of course,” he grinned.
Did I want him to stay?
I didn’t know!
I was so confused!
My sagging pants slipped below my hips and I hastily pulled them up before Cole got an eyeful of my granny panties.
Oh shit, I was wearing granny panties!
Just more incentive to keep my pants on!
“Why?” I asked, not entirely trusting his motives.
Cole sighed and that vulnerability I had only just become acquainted with made itself known.
“Because it’s lonely thinking and worrying only about yourself. I’ve missed out on a lot. One of the biggest is getting to know you. We’ve f**ked but we’ve never really hung out. I’ve told you my shit but you’ve never told me yours. This has been a purely one-sided relationship for entirely too long. I know you kicked me out of your life. I know you’ve made it clear you want nothing to do with me. But please, Viv, just give me one night to know you. To figure out what’s going on inside that beautiful head of yours. I want to show you that I’m not all bad. That I can be a nice guy. And if at the end you still want me gone, I’ll leave. You’ll never have to see me again.”
It sounded simple enough, but nothing with Cole was ever free of conditions.
“No sex,” I said firmly, pointing at him in warning.
Cole held up his hands. “No, sex. Well, not unless you ask nicely,” he teased and I groaned, rolling my eyes.
“Can I put this stuff in your kitchen?” he asked, holding up the plastic bags.
“Sure, it’s through there.” I pointed him in the right direction. I followed him into the brightly lit room.
“This place makes mine look like a shithole,” he said, taking in the soft green walls and bright white wooden cabinets.
“That’s because your place is a shithole,” I responded.
“True,” he agreed, getting out the ingredients needed to make drinks and setting them out on the counter.
“You’re making me Lemon Drops? You really are trying to get on my good side,” I stated, watching as he found the low-ball glasses and mixed my favorite drink.
“We’re not having sex,” I felt the need to reiterate.
Cole traced an x over his chest. “Cross my heart, I won’t get in your too big for you pink sweatpants. I won’t take advantage of you. But if you come on to me, I can’t be sure of the consequences.”
I snorted. “I think we’re safe then.”
Cole gave me a look screamed liar!
Because I was a liar.
If Cole knew anything about me, it was that when it came to him I had zero self-control.
With our drinks in hand, we went back out to the living room and sat down on the couch. Cole turned off the television and got out a deck of cards.
“No strip poker!” I warned.
“Seriously, Viv, you act as though I have a one-track mind,” he admonished. He started to deal out several pile of cards.
“Have you ever played Spit?” he asked and I pursed my lips, still wondering if this some elaborate sex ruse.
Who was the one with a one-track mind?
“Uh, no,” I said.
“Let me show you,” he said and went about explaining the most complicated card game I had ever heard of.
“And when you call Spit I have to answer a question, any question about myself. And likewise if I call Spit. You have to be totally and completely honest with me.”
I took a long drink of my Lemon Drop. This could get dangerous. I could feel it.
It wasn’t long before Cole had beaten me soundly and was asking his first question.
He started easy enough.
“Favorite food?”
I didn’t have to think about that one. “Coffee,” I answered.
Cole laughed. “That’s not a food, Vivian.”
“Fine, pizza. Even though it makes my ass fat, I can’t get enough. Slather dough in greasy cheese and tomato sauce and I’m salivating like a dog,” I said.
Two minutes later I threw my hands up in the air after Cole yelled spit once again. “This isn’t fair! I’ll never win!” I complained.
“Stop your bitching and just answer the question. What is your most embarrassing moment?”
“Aside from having my eyes fused together with honey in some ridiculous sex act? Or the time I was handcuffed to a bed dressed as a nun and a locksmith had to set loose?” I asked and Cole actually flushed.
“Uh y...yeah, besides that,” he stammered and I couldn’t help but snicker.
“Okay, fine, most embarrassing moment excluding getting kinky with you, probably the time I threw up all over Tim Dalton, the boy I had a massive crush on in the fifth grade. I was mortified and even though he was totally nice about it, it ruined any chance I had of becoming Mrs. Dalton,” I sighed dramatically.
“Well, all the better for me.” Cole winked and I had to look away.
A few minutes later, it was my turn to yell spit and I crowed in delight.
“I won! I won!” I exclaimed, doing a dance in my seat, pumping my fists into the air.
“Yeah, yeah. Beginner’s luck,” Cole pouted.
I stuck my tongue out at him and put my forefinger to my chin as I thought about my question.
“Hmm. . .there are so many things I want to know! How to choose?” Cole groaned.
“Jesus, just ask something already.”
I glared at him and finally thought of something.
“Why don’t you like Jordan?” I asked. It had always bugged me. It was obvious Cole didn’t have the relationship with Maysie’s boyfriend that he had with the other guys. When I asked Maysie about it, she never really had an answer for me.
“I don’t not like Jordan. Honestly. It’s sort of complicated,” Cole said.
“Uh, uh. That’s not going to cut it. You have to tell me the truth.” I wagged my finger in his face.
“It’s not that I don’t like him, I guess I’ve always been jealous of him,” Cole finally admitted.
I sat back, surprised. I hadn’t been expecting that.
“What? Why?”
“Because everyone likes him. He has this natural talent and he was this super big deal from the moment he started working at Barton’s. He had these hot girlfriends and my friends thought he was oh so cool. It drove me nuts. I was used to being the big cheese. And then this frat dude comes along and suddenly I’m not so important anymore.”